Spinal Cord Exploration and Spine Fusion Surgery

Group of procedures performed by surgeons with similar skills–an open operation to relieve pressure or potential pressure on the spinal cord or spinal cord nerve roots of the back; or the surgical removal of one or more discs from the spinal column; or removal of a bone segment from the back that may be diseased or is causing pressure on nerves; or open operation to immobilize segments of the spinal column usually done together with removal of diseased spine discs or other bony abnormalities.

Find the best surgeons — Checkbook has identified as having better-than-average outcomes based on analysis of more than four million surgeries done for hospital inpatients by more than 50,000 surgeons.

How Big Are the Differences

Some surgeons' patients have much higher rates of deaths and other bad outcomes than other surgeons'. This shows the percentage of bad outcomes for the best-performing one-tenth of surgeons, the average surgeon, and the worst performing one-tenth of surgeons.